This National Clinical Guideline applies to all health and social care workers because the control of healthcare associated infection is everyone’s responsibility. It is particularly relevant to Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) Practitioners. IPC Practitioners are those health and social care workers with specific training and expertise in the prevention and control of infection and who provide training, guidance and leadership to others on IPC. This is a summary version of the National Clinical Guideline. Due to size, the full version of the guideline is presented in two volumes. Both volumes should be cross-referenced as needed.

Healthcare associated infections (HCAIs) are infections that can develop either as a direct result of healthcare interventions such as medical or surgical treatment, or from being in contact with a healthcare setting. The term HCAIs includes any infection acquired as a direct result of treatment in any health or social care setting or as a result of healthcare delivery in the community (HIQA 2017). In order to prevent HCAIs, it is important to understand how infections occur in healthcare settings and then put in place measures to prevent them. If effectively implemented, the two-tiered approach of standard and transmission-based precautions recommended in these guidelines provide high-level protection to patients, healthcare workers and other people in healthcare settings.